Darin St. George: It's the little things that count

While it is true that your health and fitness often can be greater than the sum of their parts, one place where minutiae can trip you up when it needn't is nutrition.

Darin St. George

Ladies and gentlemen, I have some sad news to report: Today's is the last column I will ever write ... April Fools! Oh boy, have I been waiting a long time to do that.

No, the sky isn't really falling; you didn't win a new car (it's your little sister calling to trick you). Pretty much, you should stay on your guard for malcontents like yours truly attempting to pull the wool over your eyes.

What's one little con, anyway? Well, that brings us to the crux of this week's column: one small thing.

While it is true that, often, your health and fitness can be greater than the sum of their parts, one place where minutiae can trip you up when it needn't is nutrition. Even though everyone thinks I'm writing about them here, I am not. Without question, we have all done what I'm about to describe, and while it is so much fun to make this mistake, it is one that we must not make too often.

"Oh my goodness! I ate half a bagel for breakfast. It's all downhill from here!" From here, the person has free rein to chow down and pig out, all because they made that tragic first "mistake."

We've all done it; craved a margarita and figured we might as well have Super Grande Nachos because we've "already blown it." Why do we order them at the same time, then?

We need to realize that when it comes to matters of nutrition, we are a nation of addicts. One doughnut is too many, and a million aren't enough. I am not suggesting complete abstinence from eating junk, rather I'm advocating a case-by-case approach over the "sky is falling (and it's made of Twinkies)" attitude to which we all love to "fall victim."

When we slip up, the waters start swirling around us and the vicious cycle of depression; eat to feel better; then get depressed over what you just ate begins. What I propose to everyone is this: Let go of it. It is a small thing that we let grow into a bigger problem that consumes us. Or is it us that is the bigger problem when we consume?

How about skipping a workout for whatever reason comes up? Now, Trainer X isn't going to tell you the secret to an amazing physique is missing training sessions. What I will say is that if there are 30 days in a month and you take three or four off, you may be more likely to have awesome workouts the first day back after a layoff.

I took all day Saturday off and spent it with my family and close friends, and it was just what I needed. The very next day, I ran 18 miles and am right back on track. Did I let a small setback turn into Armageddon? My legs answer a resounding "negative!"

Don't sweat the small stuff, people. Just sweat, OK?

Darin St. George is a personal fitness coach at Gold's Gym in Natick, Mass. Visit his Web site at www.myspace.com/darinstgeorge.